Gem of a Man

DIVING INTO THE ESOTERIC WORLD OF MEN’S JEWELLERY

I have, in my house in California, an antique print hanging on the bathroom wall. It is a page from a 16th century Italian tome called Il Galateo, a comprehensive book on etiquette that dispensed advice with much dry humour. Beneath an etching of a Renaissance-era Florentine courtier, it prescribes a list of recommendations concerning the appropriate dress and appearance of a gentleman. Number one on the list writes – and here I feebly attempt a translation of archaic Italian – “Weareth a man, if he must, a ring on the left third finger. For the well-mannered wear no other jewellery whose sole purpose is to embellish."

That Il Galateo advises against jewellery should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, really. After all, there was a time – up until the not-too-distant past – when every respectable men gave a wide berth to any form of ornamentation, save for their wedding bands. The only sorts of people for whom wearing necklaces, bracelets, and suchlike was socially acceptable were women and hip hop gangstas: that is, the prevalent sentiment was that jewellery was either too fey or too thug.

But gone are the days of strict sumptuary distinctions. Flavor Flav’s fifteen blinged-up minutes of fame (ha, get it?) have long passed, and with Jayden Smith fronting Louis Vuitton’s womenswear campaign, the strident distinctions between menswear and womenswear are increasingly being torn down. What this all means, of course, is that you can most certainly wear more than one ring on the third finger and not be mistaken for a gaudy rapper.

The savviest of men caught on to this paradigm shift long ago. At the prestigious bi-annual menswear tradeshow Pitti Uomo, it is neither the neon blazers nor the askew ties that catches attention, but the colourful stacked bracelets that festoon the wrists of such style icons as Lino Ieluzzi and Lapo Elkann. And it’s not just the Italians: across the pond, sartorial superstars like Paul Newman and Johnny Depp have been known to throw on a necklace and a signet ring or three.

This monumental shift in menswear has not gone unnoticed at the luxury houses. Apart from the perennially popular leather bracelets by the likes of Bottega Veneta, Tod’s, and Hermes, ateliers have been confecting mens’ jewellery in a variety of precious metals and stones; Cartier’s Juste Un Clou bangle, shaped to resemble a nail bent around the wrist, carries a distinctly bohemian, masculine charm even though it is not marketed specifically for men.

Most recently, Bulgari released the B.zero1 Perfect Mistake collection, a series of rings, pendants, and bangles that irreverently combines various shades of gold. Copenhagen-based Shamballa Jewels – the reigning purveyor of bejewelled bracelets – has a cult following that counts among its decidedly elegant ranks Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld.
The list goes on: Deakin & Francis’ bold diamond- and ruby-encrusted skull cufflinks, Monique Pean’s impossibly intricate fossilized walrus ivory and black diamond necklaces, and Pomellato’s Arabesque rings are but some outstanding pieces available to the sartorially-enlightened man.

Despite the better acceptance it enjoys today, most men’s jewellery should still be approached with caution, lest you end up looking like an over-decorated Christmas tree. Perhaps the most useful guideline when wearing jewellery is understatement, because the glint of gold, silver, or jewels is a lot more vibrant than many other tones in the conventional colour palette in menswear. Also pick pieces that will not compete with each other for attention, or distract from your overall countenance.

The exception to this rule is where the current trend of stacked bracelets is concerned. Not incidentally, is also where it gets the trickiest. By all means stack on as many bracelets as you can, but ensure that each is small and varied enough to create visual texture.

Further, there are certain occasions that call for leaving your precious accessories at home. Black and white tie events, where sleekness trumps garnishing, are best kept jewellery-free; express your personal aesthetic with the immaculate fit of your dinner jacket and the ravishing beauty of your date – who will, after all, be dripping in diamonds. At other times appositeness depends on the wearer: if your family doesn’t have a coat of arms, you probably won’t want to be wearing a made-up crest on your signet ring; opt for a cabochon-cut stone instead. Also, in no event should you ever consider bejewelled belt buckles.

With all that said, it is worth noting that perhaps more than any other accessory or garment, jewellery is the one aspect of a man’s attire in which you can fully encapsulate your personality, so take your time to find the perfect ring or necklace – and do not be afraid to go bespoke. At the end of the day, after all, nothing says “man about town" like a talismanic chunky diamond ring does.